HAL struggled to meet production targets, delaying operational aircraft entry into service
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mark 1A, a light combat aircraft, takes off before its maiden flight at HAL Nashik, India, October 17, 2025. PHOTO: Retuers
ISLAMABAD:
The crash of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft, developed by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has raised serious concerns over the combat aircraft’s operational readiness, safety standards and long-standing technical difficulties.
The accident, which occurred during a public aerobatics demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, led aviation experts and military analysts to look into the series of systemic failures that have plagued the Tejas program for decades. Although the exact cause is still under investigation, experts suggest that a combination of technical malfunctions, systemic development issues and operational pressures may have played a critical role in the accident.
Aviation experts point to a history of development delays, chronic quality control problems, engine integration difficulties and general dissatisfaction among the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the aircraft’s performance. These problems have, over time, resulted in a warplane that has struggled to meet both internal expectations and external demands.
The Tejas program, launched in the 1980s, was presented as India’s flagship fighter, a symbol of the country’s autonomy in combat aviation. However, nearly four decades of development have been marred by delays and technical setbacks. The plane only became operational in the last decade, and even then it still faces problems.
The most recent in a series of worrying incidents was the crash of a Tejas fighter jet near Jaisalmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan on March 12, 2024, following an engine seizure caused by an oil pump malfunction. Preliminary investigations showed that this failure was a critical fault rather than pilot error.
The accident highlighted the vulnerability of the Tejas, a single-engine plane, to catastrophic failure if its propulsion system malfunctions. This served as an early warning that the plane’s engine remained unreliable despite years of development.
According to aviation and aeronautics experts, ongoing problems with the Tejas engine are compounded by sourcing and supply chain issues. Despite HAL’s efforts to integrate local systems, the aircraft relied on imported GE F404/F414 engines, which faced delivery delays and occasional shortages of gearboxes and accessories.
These delays forced the IAF and HAL to stagger production timelines, delay deliveries and rush to find stopgap solutions – all of which compressed testing schedules and created operational risks. All of these concerns were confirmed during the Dubai Air Show crash, prompting aviation experts to draw links between the Jaisalmer failure and the more recent crash.
The Tejas was initially designed as a multi-role combat aircraft intended to replace the IAF’s aging fleet of Russian MiG-21s. However, the program’s development trajectory is far from smooth. The timeline, which spans more than 40 years, has been plagued by unstable design requirements, technology gaps and the inability to freeze a final configuration of the aircraft.
Despite these problems, Tejas continued to be displayed at international air shows as a symbol of India’s growing defense capabilities. However, the aircraft’s ability to meet the IAF’s stringent operational requirements remains in question as major issues persist in radar integration, defensive systems and combat survivability.
Another major factor contributing to Tejas’ operational problems is the state of HAL’s manufacturing processes. Over the years, HAL has faced recurring quality control issues, which have compromised the safety and reliability of the Tejas fleet.
HAL has struggled to meet its production targets, thereby delaying the fielding of operational aircraft. Despite huge investments, HAL’s production capacity proved insufficient to meet the demand for Tejas aircraft in the IAF.
Reports of fluid leaks, panel misalignments, premature seal wear and grounding problems have haunted the Tejas fleet. These defects suggest failures in HAL’s quality control processes and a failure to ensure the aircraft meets basic operational standards before being delivered.
At the same time, HAL’s reliance on manual procedures rather than automated controls contributed to human errors during assembly and maintenance. The lack of automation in quality control has made it difficult to maintain high production standards, essential for military aircraft.
The Dubai accident exposed these deficiencies, as visible fluid leaks and other mechanical defects were apparent before the flight. These defects should have been corrected during pre-flight inspections, but the rushed nature of the demonstration, combined with ongoing maintenance and quality control issues, led to a catastrophic mid-flight failure.
The Tejas was initially designed to be powered by the indigenous Kaveri engine. However, the failure of the Kaveri engine project forced HAL to rely on foreign engines – the GE F404/F414 – which were not ideally suited to the aircraft airframe. This mismatch resulted in several performance issues, including thrust limitations, aerodynamic disturbances, and increased maintenance complexity.
These performance constraints were particularly evident during the aerobatics demonstration at the Dubai Airshow, where the Tejas was pushed to its limits, exacerbating underlying problems in the engine or flight systems.
The Tejas uses a digital flight system, a modern feature that should provide greater control and precision in flight. However, the system has faced significant instability issues since its introduction, including excessive sensitivity, software patches, and pilot-autopilot discrepancies.
Given the sensitivity of the Tejas’ flight control system and unresolved software issues, it is likely that the Dubai crash was caused, in part, by the combination of these factors, making it more difficult for the pilot to regain control during the highly stressful aerobatic routine.
According to defense analysts, political pressure also played a major role in the trajectory of the Tejas program. As part of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, Tejas has become a symbol of national pride. However, this political pressure often overshadowed technical concerns, leading to the aircraft being displayed at international air shows despite ongoing problems with its design and performance.
They believe that the desire to project its strength and technological prowess on the global stage led to a situation where the aircraft was pushed into demonstrations before being fully operational, thereby downplaying its technical deficiencies for the benefit of national optics. This approach, while boosting India’s image, has clearly compromised the safety and performance of the Tejas.
Analysts say the Dubai crash is a reminder of deep-rooted problems within India’s military-industrial complex. This highlights the importance of prioritizing technical readiness, quality control and security over political considerations in defense development.
The Tejas program, which was meant to be a symbol of India’s self-reliance, has become a case study of how repeated technical failures, compounded by political pressures and systemic inefficiencies, can lead to catastrophic results.
